Singapore Business Delegation

Posted on August 23rd, 2017

This week, Capricorn Enterprise is part of the Australia-Singapore Military Training Initiative Ministerial Business Delegation led by Senator the Hon Marise Payne (Minister for Defence) and the Hon Steven Ciobo (Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment), supported by Federal Member for Capricornia Michelle Landry and Queensland Senator the Hon Ian Macdonald.

Three programs representing 1. Defence, 2. Construction and Engineering and 3. Communications and Technology, have resulted in forty-five (45) business and industry representatives from the Rockhampton/Capricorn Coast Region, the Townsville region, as well as major firms within Queensland and Australia, attending the three day delegation this week from the 21st to 23rd August 2017.

These three programs are assisted by Senior Government officials from Austrade-Singapore and Austrade-Australia, which have been organised with exceptional detail.

Our official itinerary included an official briefing on Monday evening by Ministers Payne and Ciobo at the High Commissioner Residence and a networking function to meet with Australian and Singapore companies and government representatives.

A full day on Tuesday included a Joint Austrade breakfast briefing, a Briefing and Q&A session by Department of Defence Brigadier Tim Bayliss and Mick Reilly (assisted by Sean Hawkins), followed by an AustCham business lunch to meet a range of Australian companies operating in Singapore across a broad range of industries. Following was a meeting and networking function with International Enterprise-Singapore, which looked into business opportunities arising from the Military Training Initiative (MTI), then a hosted dinner by the Singapore Armed Forces.

Wednesday included a visit to the Commonwealth War Cemetery Kranji to pay our respects, followed by a combined Toll Global Logistics Singapore and Singapore Technologies Logistics site visit, then a site visit at Singapore Technologies Engineering and Singapore Technologies Kinetics Group.

Preceding the three day official program, I also met with Safe2Travel, the tourism wholesaler who co-ordinates the SAF Educational Tour Program each year during the Singapore Armed Forces Training Exercise at Shoalwater Bay Military Training Area. I have personally worked with the team from Safe2Travel for nearly two decades and their hospitality was just wonderful.

My last visit to Singapore was some 15 years ago on a Trade Mission with local colleagues during my time as an elected Local Government Councillor for Livingstone Shire Council (from 2000 to 2006). That trip included a visit to the Singapore Armed Forces Military Institute (SAFTI) and the Singapore Port Authority, but this week’s trip led by senior Federal Ministers opened an impressive number of doors. International Trade Relations are key to continuing and strengthening our relationships. The annual SAF training exercise injects up to $35 million dollars into our regional community each year, so it is critical that we demonstrate our continued collective appreciation that the Singapore government fully fund the two day Education Tour Program (ETP) – formerly referred to as R&R (Rest and Relaxation).

As we plan for the next decade of defence business, as well as agricultural opportunities, this week’s high profile delegation is very timely.

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